NFL

What has Stefon Diggs said about the standoff between him and the Buffalo Bills?

Following a week of uncertainty, there’s now greater clarity surrounding the Bills WR and why he chose not to attend the initial days of the mandatory minicamp.

MICHAEL REAVESAFP

It’s been a week since Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott said he was “very concerned” about wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who did not show up for the mandatory minicamp. Since that time, there’s been some back and forth but now we have clarity on where the pass catch himself stands.

Stefon Diggs clears the air on the Bills situation

You may recall the reports last week about the Buffalo Bills’ mandatory minicamp and star wideout Stefon Diggs’s failure to turn up on the opening day. Indeed, it was a situation that sent shockwaves throughout the franchise and the league itself. The initial drama was then followed by Diggs’ agent declaring that his client was, in fact, present and moreover would continue to be “for the entirety of minicamp.” There was also quarterback Josh Allen who explained to the media that the issues surrounding Diggs were “not football-related.” On the other hand, Allen seemed to contradict himself later by alluding to a failure to communicate better within the organization, something that very much seems related to the game.

At any rate, Diggs was back on the field the very next day, though he did post a rather cryptic message on Instagram in which he hinted at the idea of people spreading lies rather than speaking the truth. Regardless, on Sunday, we got some insight into exactly what these “not football-related” issues were and it seems they were in fact related to the game. As per reports, the 29-year-old has become increasingly frustrated about his voice in the team’s play-calling and his general role in the offense. To be clear, we’re talking about a player who caught 108 passes for 1,429 yards and a career-high 11 touchdowns across 16 games last season. To put that in perspective, Diggs was responsible for 29% of the Bills’ receptions in 2022. That was the third-highest rate in the league during the last season in case you’re wondering. Diggs also ranked fourth in the NFL in receptions, fifth in receiving yards, and tied for third in touchdown receptions.

So what went wrong in Buffalo?

For the purpose of context, the Buffalo Bills were widely favored as the team that would win it all this past season. Yet, as you clearly know, that’s not what happened. Following their upset loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional Round, it was reported that Diggs quickly departed the team’s locker room before the coaching staff had a chance to make it back. Adding further weight to the idea of a rift between Diggs and the team is that he was seen in a now infamous moment, engaged in a heated conversation with Allen on the sideline during the game. Diggs would later take to social media where he stated he was not OK with losing. Ultimately, this is all to say that it was evident that something wasn’t right between the wide receiver and his team.

And now things are OK between Stefon Diggs and the Bills?

That’s what’s been said. Furthermore, McDermott himself who had previously been very disturbed by the situation, stated that the team is now “in a good spot” with Diggs, before adding that, “I feel like it’s resolved.” Of course, there is the truth and then there is the version of it that we are given by teams, which to be fair is their right. Nonetheless, we’ll continue to keep an eye on this one as it likely isn’t the last we’ve heard of the trouble brewing between the Bills and their wide receiver.

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